The Citizens Clean Elections Commission has tentatively adopted a host of rules changes, but because comments from the public were incorporated in those proposals, they are subject to 60 days of public comment.

If the public comments that were worked into the proposed rule changes were substantive, rather than technical, they must again be put out for public comment, said Colleen Connor, executive director of the Clean Elections Commission, the agency that administers public campaign funding.

Among the new proposals:

• Clarifying Rule R2-20-101 to show that the candidate’s campaign finances, and not the campaign organization generally or the candidate, are subject to audit by the commission.

• Changing R2-20-230 to allow a candidate up to five days after missing a mandatory debate to be excused for that absence, so that the candidate might not lose public campaign funding because of the absence. The current rule contains no grace period for reporting an absence.

• Setting a five-day deadline, where none exists now, for participating candidates to return unspent funds.

• Deleting a previously approved requirement that a campaign keep a record of every person who consumes food or beverages if paid for with public funds; instead, a candidate will be required to “maintain sufficient records to demonstrate that each expenditure was made for a direct campaign purpose.”

Copies of the latest draft of the proposed rules changes are available at the commission offices, 1616 W. Adams St., Suite 110, Phoenix. The 60-day public comment period began on Jan. 29 and will conclude on March 29. —